Fitted bed sheets have been used in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities for many years. These sheets are often made from knitted materials such as cotton, polyester, blends thereof, or the like. Fitted bed sheets generally provide a type of barrier between a patient and the mattress, thereby providing comfort and inhibiting cross-contamination.
Existing fitted bed sheets often do not sufficiently cover the underside of a mattress, causing the fitted bed sheets to become untucked and come off of the mattress. The underlying mattress may then become exposed, which may cause discomfort to a patient lying on the mattress. Furthermore, the exposed mattress may contact the patient's skin, causing bacteria and/or microbes from the mattress to be transferred to the patient and vice versa. Because hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities often do not clean the mattresses frequently enough and/or sufficiently, this cross-contamination may cause significant hygiene issues, which may affect the health of the patient.
Furthermore, many existing fitted bed sheets do not fit the mattress tightly enough, which may cause the fitted bed sheets to wrinkle. The ill-fitting fitted bed sheets may also bunch up on one end or side of the mattress, thereby causing inconvenience and/or discomfort to the patient. In addition, it may take longer to change fitted bed sheets that do not fit properly, as more time will be spent adjusting the fitted bed sheets to fit the mattress. Moreover, a wrinkled or bunched-up fitted bed sheet surface may irritate a patient's skin, thereby causing rashes or sores.
Therefore, there exists a need for a fitted bed sheet that addresses one or more of these deficiencies.